Guardian
by scifilady10
Summary: An other-worldly Darcy guards and protects Elizabeth as they discover God's will for their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Guardian**

Chapter One

"_In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was formless and void; and darkness was over the surface of the deep." Genesis 1:1-2, NASB_

_The Rebellion_

Just after the dawn of time, there was an unheard of disturbance in heaven. There was the feel of an approaching storm signaling something ominous on the horizon, as if heaven itself might be ripped asunder by the mighty rush of millions of wings beating at once in fierce battle.

During the time between the first and second verses recorded in the book of Genesis, great and awful events took place that shook the foundations of the universes and forever altered the course of human history. Before humans were ever created, choices were made that would greatly influence them and all other created beings.

The beautiful archangel Lucifer, the light bearer, glorious in his appearance, strode confidently through the majestic halls. His white robe fluttered, trailing in his wake as he approached Michael and Gabriel, the two other archangels, who stood with Xander, the highest ranking of all guardians.

"My brothers," he said to them in a silken voice, his amber eyes flashing his excitement. "Why should we be content to be servants? We are the highest and most powerful of the angels, yet we are expected to bow before God with the lowest of our kind. Let us join together. Even God Himself cannot stop us if we are united. Join me, and we will rule the universes."

Michael, the great warrior, the one who resembled his master, Jehovah God, faced Lucifer with a scowl marring his countenance. His green eyes flashed a warning as his jaw tensed. From his towering height of seven feet, the largest of all angels glared at the most beautiful.

"Your pathetic sycophants have puffed you up with conceit, Lucifer. Do not let your followers lead you into rebellion. We are honored to serve our Master, Yahweh. There is no higher calling. What is the purpose of attaining more power than He has already granted to us?"

Gabriel, God's able-bodied one, the hero of God, turned his azure eyes to Lucifer and Michael with unconcealed concern. His gentle demeanor belied his great strength in battle. Though Gabriel desired to be a peacemaker and would not take up arms against another angel easily, he was assured of victory if he did so. The flowing sleeves of his white robe fell back from his strong arms as he laid his hands on the shoulders of Lucifer and Michael.

Xander, chief among legions of protectors, spoke his carefully chosen words in a deliberately moderated tone, "Lucifer, you are already powerful beyond all angels except for those in this group. Must you rule us as well? Only Elohim has more authority than do we. Do not force His hand. Do not sever our bonds. Once you choose this path against our Master, you cannot untravel it. It is an irrevocable choice."

"Lucifer, Michael, Xander, let us not argue. Jehovah desires for us to live together in unity and harmony. We have but one purpose – to glorify the Almighty Creator," Gabriel said reasonably.

Lucifer sneered openly at them, his brawny arms crossed tightly over his broad chest. He shook his head in derision, and his glossy black hair fell across his shoulders.

"I thought as much. You are too cowardly to confront the One who holds us captive to His will. I do not need you to accomplish my plans. You are correct in one thing, Michael. I do have many followers, and they will die for me if necessary."

Michael, the strongest of them all, quickly unsheathed his sword and brandished it with two strong hands above his golden head. "Then let it be so! I will slay those who oppose my Master! First I will smite you, and then your groveling hoards."

A deep, sonorous voice spoke silence and stilled all of heaven as a brilliant light appeared before the four. All of heaven except Lucifer bowed to one knee and lowered their heads in gestures of submission. As Michael saw Lucifer openly defy of the Creator of All Things, he jumped to his feet and called the Host to battle. As suddenly as lightning strikes, the angelic forces from all of heaven met as the two sides engaged in war. Swords clashed with a thunderous roar, and heaven shook with the fierceness of it, until God spoke His judgment.

"How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!" The Father of All spoke a brief mourning for the loss of His brightest angel before consigning him to everlasting darkness. His voice invoked awe in the heavenly ranks as He continued, "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' Nevertheless, you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. Those who see you will gaze at you." _(Isaiah 14, NASB)_

At God's word and through His power, with the rest of the host as witnesses, the pretender was cast out of heaven to the earth. Lucifer was no longer light. He was now the essence of darkness, and his very name mocked him. He became the god of this world, the ruler of the earth, for a season.

When Lucifer, the most cunning of all angels, was expelled from the presence of the Master, the rest of the angels chose sides for eternity. Xander, along with millions of others, elected to stay with their Creator and serve Him. Lucifer managed to convince many hundreds of thousands of their kind to desert all good things and their places in the ranks in order to follow him. After humans were created, the sole reason for Lucifer's existence became to prevent humans from believing in God; failing that, the dark ones hoped to rob believers of their joy and their usefulness to the Master. Lucifer was constantly watching for any opportunity to accuse believers and to point out their sins to God. He and those who chose to be with him sought to thwart the plans of Jehovah at every opportunity. The fallen were totally destructive and continuously evil. Whereas the light beings were pure souls, the dark ones had given up their souls at the moment they had chosen their common destiny. Those of the light never sinned, and those of the darkness never stopped sinning. Salvation was not needed for the holy angels, and it was not possible for the fallen.

Eventually, in God's chosen time, the dark ones would be defeated once and for all and condemned to the abyss. Of course, Lucifer had convinced his forces that he would be ultimately victorious, and they believed his lie. He was the Father of Lies. Lucifer's demonic forces were divided into hierarchies and ranks just as light beings were, but they held their positions through threats and abuse. There was no loyalty among them. They could achieve only a perverted sort of happiness through causing others misery.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14, NIV

His ancient eyes impassively observed the birth of the tiny girl as he tried to discern what made her different from the thousands of other children born on that day. Her family seemed ordinary enough, and the guardians with her parents were of the middle ranks. He knew that there was a divine reason for his selection as the girl's protector, and he did not question the decision that put him in that place on that day. But he was curious. He had been the guardian of hundreds of apostles, rulers, patriarchs, and pivotal humans in history for thousands of years. He had been with Noah as he built the ark; with Abraham as he had made his trek through the desert toward Ur; with Jacob as he had fathered the twelve tribes of Israel; with Moses as his mother had set his basket afloat in the Nile; with David as he had slain the giant Goliath; with Daniel as he had faced the lions; with G. F. Handel as he had composed beautiful music, including _The Messiah_, to the glory of The One; and with Dwight L. Moody, and other evangelists who had brought the Light to the world. He had guarded kings, Presidents, Prime Ministers, and military heroes. He was the principal guardian from the highest order; servant to Elohim, the Most High Master, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Almighty Creator of the universe. What made this tiny baby special enough for his assignment as her guardian?

He thought back to the summons he had received in the previous year upon the completion of his assignment. There had been nothing unusual about the manner of Asim, the scheduler, when he had communicated the identity and location of Xander's next charge. However, Xander had been surprised that he was being sent to guard the offspring of such an unremarkable family in an unimportant place. Normally, guardians of his rank and record were given to those who would change history, those who would hold positions of power, and those who would be extremely important in the work of his Master. But Xander asked no questions. He accepted the assignment immediately and without betraying any hint of his thoughts. He accepted that there was a reason for this dispatch, and that he would be told what he needed to know when it was necessary. In the meantime, he would do his job from the moment of her conception. No one, nothing would harm this child until the appointed hour of her death.

Elohim, in His omniscience, had heard Xander's confusion concerning his charge and had summoned him to the throne room as he was leaving Asim. Xander had removed his sandals and bowed on his knees before the pure, holy light that was his Master, the King of the Ages.

"Xander, chief of all my guardians, do you wish to ask anything of me?" God asked his servant in a gentle voice.

"No, my Lord. Whatever you command is good in my sight. I am pleased to obey," Xander had answered quietly without lifting his head.

"I know your heart, Xander, and I know that what you say is true; however, I will answer what you will not ask. Had my own Son needed a guardian, I would have chosen you. As He could command the legions Himself, I instead charged you with guarding His mother. Just as you kept her safe from the evil plans against her life and His while she carried Him, I need for you to guard this human girl who will be born. I have an important design for her life, Xander. She will be the means of turning the earth world back to Me, and she will also provide the way to defeat Lucifer's champion for this age. Her influence will be felt for many generations. Of course, she will have free will in this. She could refuse Me, but she will not. Xander, I will ask more of you when the time is full, and what I will ask will not be easy for you. I know that you can protect her, and I know that you will do anything that I ask of you, but I wish for you to accept this willingly. You can decline this, if you wish, and continue as you have always been. Do you wish to have a different charge?"

Xander had never heard of any angel being given a choice. Humans had free will; angels did as they were commanded. However, he carefully considered what the Father of All had said to him before he answered, though his head remained bowed.

"My Lord, you chose me for this, and I am humbled that I was selected. You know all things, and you seek only what is good for all that You have created. The only reason I exist is to serve You, and I would no longer wish to live if I did not do my best to please you in all things. Please allow me to protect this special child."

God spoke. "Your request is granted."

oooooOOOOOooooo

Xander was somewhat acquainted with the protectors assigned to his charge's parents and older sister. If the other three were surprised at his presence with them, they were too well trained to betray it. As guardians of the same family, the team shared their own minds as well as knowing those of their charges and other people who were in close proximity. Within a few seconds of joining the team, he knew the entire history of the small group consisting of the humans and those assigned to guard them. All guardians and others of their ranks with different responsibilities could communicate with each other telepathically, but the complete knowledge of another's mind was limited to those who shared guardianship of a family within the confines of a few miles of distance.

Only the servants of his Master, along with children too young to have made a decision, had guardians. This human family had been guarded throughout their lifetimes. The mother of his charge, Lynne Bennet, had made her decision early in her life, as had her parents and grandparents. The father, David, though born into a non-servant family, had become a follower when he was sixteen and had first heard the story. Janna, the older sister, had been a believer from early childhood and was now nine and a half years old. They were faithful followers, but they were not unusual. Suddenly, a startling thought occurred to Xander. _The Son had been born to an ordinary family in a humble place._ Perhaps there was more to this family than he had seen thus far. The Master had a way of using the humble to confound the mighty.

Xander, or Darcy as he was known whenever he decided to take human form, was the largest of the four protectors, with a sharp intelligence and a massive strength. Though humans could not see them unless the light beings chose to be seen, Xander's appearance and towering height were intimidating even to others of his own kind. He was known to be fierce in the execution of his duties, and he was one of the few guardians who had battled the dark forces with an unblemished record. Xander had never been defeated. He had never lost a battle. His charges were his first priority, and he had kept all of them safe until their appointed times.

He had seen all the good and the bad of the human race, and felt some comfort that he would be with a family of believers who loved and respected each other. He and the others had been created for a purpose. He never had doubted that his purpose was a lofty one, and that he was perfectly suited to it. From the beginning of time, he had been a protector, a guardian, as had the others with whom he would share this assignment. They had been part of the host who had witnessed the creation of the first humans, their separation from the Master, and their willful disregard for His plans. The guardians had been present at every major event in human history. As Mary's guardian, Xander had been present at the birth of the Lamb of God, and he had been by Mary in her grief at the crucifixion. Protectors had seen wars, violence, plagues, murders, and the effects of humanity's greed and lust for power. Though the human race had deserted the Master over and over, He had never turned His back on them. Xander was constantly amazed and awed by the One whom he served. The perfect love of the Master for human beings was an enigma for which he had no explanation.

Guardians, and others of their kind, existed in a frequency of the light spectrum invisible to human eyes, but they saw each other, and they could assume a visible human form if they wished to do so. As ancient beings, they were not overly concerned with appearance. They knew that many things were more important than how a being looked. Even so, Xander was arresting. Among beings all of whom were beautiful, his noble countenance was still remarkable. Whether he chose to appear in a human form or to remain in his natural state, he stood nearly seven feet tall with eyes the color of a cloudless summer sky. His gaze was intense and unwavering, never missing the smallest detail, sending fear through his enemies and a sense of safety to his charges. His dark brown, wavy hair meandered to his neck, falling carelessly in loose curls across his strong brow. Xander's broad, well-muscled shoulders, bronzed arms, and powerful legs hinted at his unparalleled speed and strength. His chiseled jaw, aristocratic nose, and full lips were perfect, and his rare smile was breathtaking. He appeared to shimmer in the simple, sleeveless, short white tunic he wore which was the garb of all protectors, as was the razor sharp sword which hung from the belt on his hip. A single swift blow from that sword had sent uncounted dark ones screaming and spiraling into the abyss.

His mind was incomparable. He was well-known for his ability to make difficult decisions quickly, and his good judgment ensured that his final choices were the correct ones. If he chose to speak, he was never ignored. His voice carried authority, yet it was never unkind. Though Xander's appearance and mind were those of a warrior, he was surprisingly gentle when he was not engaged in battle.

Xander had been bored, amused, surprised, and vexed, but he had never known the stronger emotions of anger, hatred, jealousy, or love. He had experienced the righteous anger every protector knew in guarding his charges from the dark ones, but never any anger on his own behalf. Those types of feelings were distinctly human. He had observed them but never experienced them. He did not desire to do so. He had seen the havoc wreaked by unchecked passions. Human empires had fallen because of jealousy and greed. People had murdered each other when they were ruled by the anger which was fueled by their hatred. Wars were fought in the name of every conceivable emotion. Even members of the host had been affected by allowing their emotions free reign; many of his kind had fallen from heaven and left the service of the Master because of their abominable pride and selfish lust for power. They had lost their light, and now served Beelzebub, Lord of the underworld, Prince of Darkness. No, Xander had no wish for emotions to interfere with his existence; he liked things as they were – orderly and uncomplicated.

Xander folded his arms over his chest and recalled the conversations of the family over the last few years that had led to this event occurring now in this delivery room. He narrowed his eyes as his thoughts drifted back in time, his perfect mind revisiting the thoughts of the other protectors he had heard upon joining the group.

The child was special to her family, of course. Xander had observed that her mother had wanted another baby two years after the birth of their daughter Janna, and had asked David if they could have another child, but he had not agreed. He had feared that his small income as a minister along with Lynne's teaching salary would not support two children, and he did not want to be unable to provide a good education and everything else that he felt was needed for his offspring. Lynne had not mentioned her desire again, but had prayed daily that if God wanted her to have another child, David would bring it up himself by the time she was thirty-five years old. As Janna grew, David had realized how much he enjoyed being a father. He had seen his wife holding the babies of her friends; he had seen her wistful expression as she had kissed the children and handed them back to their mothers. He loved her, and it had been difficult to bear her subtle sadness. His adored little Janna also had voiced her longing for a sister or brother.

During the earth year 1989, both David and Lynne had turned thirty-five. In July of that year, after returning from a summer retreat with the youth of the church, he had walked calmly into their house and made a life-altering statement.

Lynne and Janna had been watching TV when David had arrived. Lynne was lying comfortably on the couch when David had looked at her with a bemused expression and said, "If you still want to have another baby, I want to have one, too."

Because she had already accepted that she was now thirty-five and her desire for another child would go unfulfilled, she had nearly fallen off the couch in shock. "Are you serious, David? What brought about this change?" Her mind spinning, she was thinking, _Why didn't I pray that he would agree by the time I was thirty? Can I really do this at thirty-five? _Then, amused at her own inner response to David's capitulation, she chuckled softly as she thought, _This is no longer a choice. God has answered my prayers in a definite way. This is His will, and He will help me through it. I must not develop a lack of faith now._

When his wife had questioned him a second time, David had avoided telling her what had caused him to change his mind. Lynne had known instinctively that God had dealt with him, and that He had answered her prayers; however, she wisely kept those thoughts to herself, not wishing to antagonize her husband. David had been sensitive to the Spirit's leading. It was enough.

In her extreme joy and excitement, Lynne had called her mother, Norma.

"Mom," she chattered, eager to share her news. "We're going to have another baby!"

"You're pregnant again?" asked Norma, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Well, not yet. But David has finally agreed." Lynne paused, puzzled by her mother's lack of a congratulatory response.

"Honey, you've been on the pill for more than nine years now. You may not be able to get pregnant right away. It may take a while, and you're thirty-five years old now. Slow down a little, Sweetheart." Norma hated for Lynne to be disappointed.

"But, Mom, I've prayed for this child for all those years. I won't have any problem getting pregnant."

And she didn't have any problem at all. Now that David's mind was made up, he happily, even eagerly, joined with Lynne in her efforts to conceive. She stopped taking the birth control pills, and she and her husband explored alternate means to prevent conception until the time was right. Both David and Lynne seemed to wear perpetual smiles during those months.

"David," Lynne had whispered playfully to him one night, her green eyes twinkling in good humor. "I hope you don't mind all the extra work we've been putting into making a baby. You must be tired."

He had grinned lazily at her and replied in mock seriousness as her turned on his side to face her in their bed. "Not at all. I'm always ready to do my part for the cause." Then, in earnest, he had added tenderly, "You know that this is the best part of deciding to have another child. Maybe we could put a little more effort right now into realizing our goal." And they did.

Ever practical and thorough, Lynne had immediately added maternity coverage to their medical insurance, aware that it would have to be in place for ninety days in order for it to cover her pregnancy. Then she had counted down the days. She needed to become with child after the first day of October to be covered. Just as she had planned, by her estimation, she had become pregnant on October second. The child would be born in July after her teaching year ended, and she would be able to resume teaching when the new school term resumed in mid-August. The small Christian school at which she taught had a daycare, and the baby was already registered for the next year.

Xander nodded gravely. _Yes . . .This child was in God's design for their lives._ They could have no way of knowing, as he did, that their child was in God's design for the rest of the world as well.


	3. Chapter 3

_Angst warning: non-graphic rape (not Elizabeth)_

Chapter Three

"We have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men." I Corinthians 4:9, NASB

As Xander thought back through the events that had brought this small group to Elizabeth's birth, his memories were as clear as if he were living the moments for the first time. He allowed his thoughts to wander again, this time remembering Mrs. Bennet's first doctor's appointment. Certainly he had not been pleased with the event, and Lynne Bennet had been even less so.

oooooOOOOOooooo

Xander's sharp eyes unrelentingly watched his enemy. He fixed the dark one with a piercing, intense stare as the demon grinned back wickedly at him from across the room.

Though the fallen ones had retained the beauty that had been bestowed on them in the beginning by their Creator, it had become twisted and evil. Whether they chose to be seen in human form, or, very rarely, in their true angelic forms, light beings and fallen angels were indistinguishable to humans. However, no one in either the light or dark angelic ranks would ever mistake one kind for the other. That was not possible. Holy angels radiated a gentle glow, while the fallen emitted no light at all. Xander did not question why Elohim had chosen to allow the evil ones to continue to exist; he simply accepted his Master's wisdom and knew that His ultimate purpose would be fulfilled.

Lynne's first visit to her OB-GYN had been frustrating in the extreme.

Dr. Garner had rushed into the room and done a cursory examination. Without so much as a pretense at caring, he had scribbled on her chart, not even bothering to look up at her as he spoke in a voice laced with routine unconcern.

"Mrs. Bennet, I'm having the receptionist set you up with several tests," he said, writing hurriedly. "When my patients who are thirty-five or older are pregnant, I always perform an amniocentesis. There are higher percentages of babies with genetic abnormalities, such as Down syndrome and spina bifida, born to women in your age group. If the fetus is found to have either of those particular disorders or a range of other genetic defects, we want to be certain that you have time to make an informed decision. After the first trimester, abortions become riskier."

Xander and Lynne's guardian, the shorter, black-haired Niall, stiffened, taking protective stances, while the demon at Dr. Garner's side smirked at them.

Lynne's eyes widened, and when she had sufficiently calmed herself to gather her thoughts, she replied, "Dr. Garner, I have read that an amniocentesis can cause a miscarriage. Some studies say that the miscarriage rate is as high as 1 for every 100 amniocenteses performed while Down syndrome occurs in about 1 in 800 babies. Even fewer babies have spina bifida. If what I have read is accurate, and I believe that it is, there is a far greater likelihood that the test will cause me to miscarry than that my baby could actually have either of those conditions. Furthermore, Doctor, out of every 250 tests showing positive results for Down, as many as 5 percent are false positives and 42 percent of the Down babies are undetected. How many of those women that got false positives unknowingly chose to abort a perfectly healthy, 'normal' infant? In any event, I would not abort my child even if she did have Down, or any other genetic disorder. In fact, I wouldn't abort under any circumstances." Lynne absolutely refused to refer to her child as an "it," so "she" was her choice of pronoun, for now.

As Lynne voiced her challenge, Dr. Garner stopped writing abruptly and looked up. He tossed Lynne's chart aside and glared at her impatiently, his dark brows nearly coming together as he furrowed them deeply. Clearly, he was angry. "You would not abort even if your fetus was anencephalic?" he asked in astonishment. "Even if it had no brain?"

Xander's hand moved reflexively to his sword as he narrowed his eyes. His enemy mirrored his movements.

Lynne held the doctor's gaze and did not flinch. She was not a woman to be so easily intimidated, especially by those who felt the need to play God with people's lives.

"Dr. Garner," Lynne replied calmly. "I do know what the word means." It was with great effort that she maintained her unruffled demeanor.

"Then, Mrs. Bennet," he continued in a clipped voice, "you probably also know that a baby with anencephaly carried to full term could not live for more than two days."

"If that were the case, Dr. Garner, my child would go to be with God," she said. "We are Christians. It would not be my decision. Don't be concerned. I can assure you that there is nothing wrong with my baby. She is an answer to prayer. Whatever God chooses to give us will be cherished."

Lynne stared at the doctor, wondering if she should tell him the human, or rather the humane side of the argument - that a couple in Lynne's church actually had parented a child with anencephaly who had lived two and a half years. Though she never learned to walk or talk, and most people may have thought that such a child had no purpose or value, she had given meaning to her parents' lives. They had loved her dearly. After her death, the couple had formed a nation-wide support group for parents of children with the disorder. Following a moment of silence, she simply shook her head. By the closed expression on his face, she knew it would be fruitless to argue with him. The doctor's mind was made up. Lynne broke their eye contact and held her counsel regarding the child of her friends. She knew that he would neither believe her story nor care about her friends.

He sighed at her ignorance and fixed his eyes on hers with barely concealed contempt. "You are very judgmental, Mrs. Bennet. Abortion is the main form of contraception in other countries," he said in a superior tone. _These self-righteous Christians grate on my nerves._

"I am not judging anyone, Dr. Garner. Every woman has to live with her own decisions. Though I will not have the test you mentioned as it could harm my child, I am perfectly willing to have any non-invasive tests that you suggest. That way, if my child does have a serious medical condition, there could be a team of specialists at the birth to take care of her."

"If you will not agree to an abortion, I see no need to perform any tests, Mrs. Bennet. Have a nice afternoon. Please set up your next appointment on your way out." He spoke brusquely and left the room without a backward glance.

Xander inwardly chuckled. His estimation of Lynne's strength of character had risen dramatically during that encounter. He had known that she was highly intelligent, but now he greatly admired her tenacity as well. From his experience in the last half century, he had found that most women accepted whatever a doctor advised without question. She, in contrast, had done her research and stood her ground, insisting on doing what she thought was best for her child. She was a woman worthy of his respect.

He turned his steely gaze to the enemy and took that opportunity to smile at the dark one, driving the evil angel to wrath. The first battle had been won without so much as a skirmish, though Xander's hand still twitched beside his sword, yearning to strike a blow at the imp, sending the fiend howling into the pit for eternity. But it was not yet time.

oooooOOOOOooooo

In Xander's opinion, Lynne's next visit to the doctor's office went a little better. Fortunately, there was a woman, a servant, in the practice with the other two male doctors. She had taken a special interest in Lynne's pregnancy and had privately arranged to perform a sonogram on Lynne every month while charging her for only the first in the series. Dr. Neil's guardian, acutely aware of Xander, had watched with avid interest as the doctor carefully checked the baby's spine and rate of development each month so that, if necessary, she could have specialists present at the birth. Though these precautions had made Lynne more comfortable, they had proved to be unnecessary. Xander and Niall had nodded silently at Dr. Neil's protector in approval. As usual, the Master had provided for every contingency.

Her pregnancy was mostly uneventful. Niall, along with Xander, constantly watched her. There was never a moment when she was not protected. All guardians knew that the dark ones were especially alert whenever a believer was singled out for protection by the higher ranks. Xander's reputation was well-established, and his presence had already attracted their attention. The evil ones would do everything within their power to prevent the birth of this child. The OB-GYN was under their influence and had played a significant role in their first attempt toward this end.

Later, when Lynne was about six months into her pregnancy, she had tripped going through a doorway. Feeling herself falling, she had twisted her body to avoid landing face-forward on her stomach. Though she hadn't known it, both Niall and Xander had leapt under her to cushion her fall. She was of average height and build, about five foot six, but her bulky, pregnant form was as no weight to the guardians.

Lynne, to her great chagrin, had never been athletic or even well-coordinated, and both guardians had grimly tracked her every move. Xander was glad that she had two guardians with her at all times. She was a devout Christian who was musically talented and highly self-motivated. In addition, she was an excellent wife and mother. In fact, she did many things very well. Walking was not one of them. His favorite time of the day had been when Lynne was asleep. Even then, he had been vigilant. _She is clumsy enough to roll off of her bed in her sleep_, he had thought as he chuckled to himself.

Knowing Lynne's mind was extremely helpful to her protectors. She had been ecstatic to be pregnant, and she had done everything within her control to ensure a healthy baby and a safe delivery. She took every possible precaution, was careful to take her pre-natal vitamins, and did the recommended exercises. Any risky behaviors, even drinking her beloved coffee, were avoided totally. The safety and well-being of her pre-born child had been almost an obsession with her. David and their beautiful, brown-eyed Janna had also been thrilled that this child was to join their family. They had done all that they could to help Lynne - cooking meals, doing housework, and making sure that she had time to rest when she came home from teaching. David had also gone with Lynne to Lamaze classes, just as he had when Lynne was carrying Janna. Xander's charge had been well-loved before she had ever taken her first breath. He was pleased.

As Lynne and David had discussed names for their child, confirmed to be a daughter in the sixth month of Lynne's pregnancy, she had realized that a compromise would be necessary. Her husband liked short names and would not accept anything too formal. She insisted that a formal name was needed in case their daughter grew up to be a professional who needed more than a nickname. Finally, he had agreed to name the baby Elizabeth and call her El, but both of them had been undecided about her middle name. As Lynne had talked over their dilemma with Mary Collins, who was another pastor's wife, a perfect name had been suggested. Her friend had insisted that her second name should be Faith, because her mother had prayed for her for so long.

The comparison brought to Xander's mind the memory of another of his charges, the shepherd boy, David. Xander smiled as he recalled how Samuel's mother, Hannah, had pleaded with God for a child, and had promised to bring Samuel back to the temple after he was weaned and give him to Eli, the priest, to be trained for God's service. He had become a priest himself as well as a great judge who had been given the privilege of anointing David the second king of Israel. Was this child as beloved in the sight of the Father as David, a man after God's own heart?

And so it was that Elizabeth's name was a testament to her mother's constant petitions to the Almighty. Throughout her life, every time she heard or wrote her middle name, Elizabeth would remember how much she was loved and wanted.

oooooOOOOOooooo

Appropriately it was Halloween, a time when the veil separating the physical world from the spiritual realm was at its thinnest. It was the night when demons most easily slipped through the diaphanous curtain and came out to wreak havoc upon mankind.

The attention of the evil ones had indeed been drawn to Xander's presence with the Bennet family. The activity had been reported to the Prince of Darkness who had already felt that something was afoot. He had sensed faint waves of excitement in heaven. Contingency plans had been made, and within a month of Elizabeth's conception, another group of angels of a very different sort had been gathered to observe a major event in a different part of the country.

Holding court in utter pandemonium, the Dark Lord, the Prince of the Power of the Air, called his minions to order.

"Bring the girl to me," he ordered.

Two large demons roughly dragged the small, terrified teenager before their master.

The master, while still one of the most beautiful angels ever created, exuded the stench of pure wickedness. The girl was frightened beyond belief, nearly past the ability to speak.

"You have been chosen," he told her in falsely honeyed tones. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, my lord," she choked out, cowering before him, nearly incoherent and barely able to breathe.

"Good," he replied with a hideous smile that held no light or joy, knowing that his plan was being set into motion.

"Take her to the chamber," he thundered curtly at the two dark ones who held the girl.

The Dark Master turned on his heel and quickly strode through the curtains into the appointed chamber, his long black robes flowing about his feet as he strode confidently to the act that would achieve his purpose. Entering the room, he looked upon the altar on which the girl was being laid, almost unconscious with fear, being prepared for her destiny.

A demonic sentry drew the curtains aside so that all could view their lord's triumph.

The air of wickedness was nearly palpable in the abandoned warehouse as the dark ones watched, leering salaciously as their prince, Lucifer, the Day Star, took human form. This place was forbidden to the beings of light. It was within the realm of darkness and controlled by the dark forces.

The Dark Prince lay with the runaway, viciously impregnating the human girl who had been chosen and led to this desolate place for this heinous purpose. The teenager was disposable. A homeless prostitute would not be missed by anyone, and because she had been possessed by a dark one at a tender age, there had been none of the angelic guardians present to interfere with her abduction earlier on that fateful evening. Hope had abandoned her.

The vile act which had created the child she would carry was obscene – a parody of the act of love that had given life to Elizabeth. The girl had fought feebly, crying out piteously against the pain of the rape, but the dark one living within her had enjoyed her agony, feasted on her fear, and reveled in her torture. He knew that she had turned from God in her childhood, and now there was no one to help her, no one to hear her cries. After her purpose was completed and her child was born, the demon who possessed her would have to find a new body in which to live, but he was not concerned. Though the girl would not survive the birth of her son, she would be easily replaced from among multitudes of non-servants who would welcome the dark one, never knowing that it would cost them everything of any real value.

oooooOOOOOooooo

On July 6, 1990, in the small, sleepy South Carolina town of Bethel, located in the thick of the Bible belt, Elizabeth Faith was born to David Thomas and Lynne Frances Bennet. As Dr. Garner had finished his shift, Dr. Neil had rotated onto hers about four hours before the birth; consequently the delivery room was well fortified with five strong guardians who were heavily armed and ready for battle, but there were no dark ones present. Because of their visits to the doctor's office, Alexandra, Dr. Neil's golden-haired, Amazon-like guardian, was already aware of Xander and Niall. She knew them fairly well, and she had shared an assignment with David's guardian, Roark, some one hundred earth years previously, but she still had to repress a shock each time she encountered the powerfully built champion. She tried not to stare and willed her errant thoughts not to betray her awe, but Alexandra had never before met anyone of Xander's formidable reputation, overpowering beauty, and exalted position in the ranks.

Xander knew her thoughts, but it was nothing he had not heard before. He did not betray his knowledge by any change in his countenance. His thoughts were well regulated, and Alexandra had no cause to be embarrassed. His total focus was on his charge.

While the stunningly beautiful Alexandra may not have been surprised, the labor nurse's guardian was totally unprepared for the sight of the imposing Xander. The sinewy, more slightly built Warner fought the urge to step back as he gazed at the small family with no little surprise and wonder. This tiny dark-haired girl being delivered with such an impressive audience was obviously someone important in the Master's plan, and both Alexandra and Warner were anxious for her to be safely born and in the unequaled care of Xander. They realized with a sense of reverence that they were part of a momentous occasion that could be a turning point in human history.

And with the current path humanity was choosing to travel, a turning point was desperately needed.


End file.
